Vinyl surface coverings are known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,198,682 and 3,778,291. Further it is known from British Patent No. 2,182,337 that stain and scratch resistance of vinyl surface coverings can be improved with a wear layer manufactured from melamine aminoplast, vinyl resin, polyol and acid catalyst. Similar use of melamine as a crosslinking agent in polymeric compositions is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,017,556 and 4,714,657.
Uses for materials such as cellulose acetate butyrate and cellulose acetate propionate are described in patents. U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,478 describes dispersions stabilized With cellulosic materials; while U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,349 describes using peroxide present with cellulosic materials to initiate crosslinking to produce a clear polYester composition. U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,338 describes using cellulose acetate butyrate or propionate to prepare TiO.sub.2 chips for use within a melamine crosslinked thermosetting composition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,100 describes release layer compositions containing cellulose esters such as nitrocellulose, methyl cellulose, cellulose acetate propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate which are coated on a paper carrier and do not comprise a part of a vinyl surface covering.
Cellulose acetate butyrate or propionate and chlorinated polyolefin are commercially available materials available in a variety of grades and compositions. It was not previously known to employ them in an improved wear layer according to the present invention.